News

Lower Time of Use Rates May 1, 2017

There will be lower time-of-use (TOU) rates effective May 1, 2017. These rates apply to residential households and small businesses that buy their electricity from their local utility. The chart below outlines the changes effective May 1, 2017.

TOU Price Periods

Existing TOU Prices

May 1, 2017 TOU Prices

Off-Peak

8.7¢/kWh

7.7 ¢/kWh

Mid-Peak

13.2 ¢/kWh

11.3 ¢/kWh

On-Peak

18.0 ¢/kWh

15.7 ¢/kWh

More help for more households - OESP to benefit more consumers, increase credits by 50 per cent. Click here for more details.

8% Provincial Rebate

On January 1, 2017, your electricity costs will go down 8%. The Ontario government is reducing electricity costs by rebating an amount equal to the provincial portion of the HST on your monthly hydro bill. That’s an 8% rebate for Ontario families, and on average will mean $130 more in your pocket each year.

This is part of Ontario’s plan to help people with the costs of everyday living by reducing electricity costs. Across Ontario, about five million residential consumers, farms and small businesses will benefit from this rebate.

Grimsby Powerhas until July 1, 2017 to implement these savings onto your bill. Applicable savings will be retroactive to electricity used on or after January 1, 2017.

NOTICE – Grimsby Power Office Renovations

Beginning Monday November 28th Grimsby Power’s main front office will be under renovation. The renovation will last up to 4 weeks. During this time an alternative side door will be open for public access. Please call the office at 905-945-5437 as a customer accounts representative may be able to provide help over the phone. The drive thru drop off kiosk will still be available for payment drop off. Normal office hours will be in effect from 8:30am to 4:30pm. All office deliveries should be dropped off at the alternate side door.

2015 Scorecard

The electricity distributor scorecards measure how well utilities are performing. It was designed to encourage utilities to operate in an effective manor and continually look for ways to improve productivity and focus on improvements of value to customers.

The scorecard includes several measurements that assess the utilities’ services. They include frequency of power outages, financial performance, costs per customer, how well the distributor resolves a customer’s concern on the first contact (First Contact Resolution), billing accuracy and public safety.

New Electricity Delivery Rates Effective September 1, 2016

On December 23, 2015 Grimsby Power Inc. (“Grimsby Power”) filed an application with its regulator, the Ontario Energy Board, seeking approval for changes to the rates that Grimsby Power charges. The Ontario Energy Board announced Grimsby’s final electricity distribution rates on September 22, 2016. The new rates are effective September 1, 2016 and are necessary to ensure Grimsby Power has sufficient funds to:

Maintain current capital investment levels in infrastructure to ensure a safe and reliable distribution system.

Support operating expenses necessary to maintain and operate the distribution system, meet customer service expectations and ensure regulatory compliance.

Canada Post workers may go on strike July 2: Helping you with contingency planning

Over the last few months, Canada Post workers have been negotiating for a new contract and are ready to go on strike on July 2, 2016 if an agreement is not reached. As a result, it has been recommended that no mail be sent after June 23.

Customers are still responsible for paying their bill on time even during a labour disruption. If you have not already, Grimsby Power is recommending that their customers sign up for e-billing to stay on top of their bills. You can find the link under the Customer Accounts tab – Access to e-Billing on this website. Alternatively, you can contact our office to inquire about your account balance or request to pick up a copy of your invoice. By telephone: 905-945-5437 or by e-mail: customeraccounts@grimsbypower.com.

Electrical Safety Survey

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has asked all Local Distribution Companies (LDC’s), including Grimsby Power, to conduct a survey regarding the level of awareness of key electrical safety precautions. Grimsby Power has procured the services of UtilityPULSE to conduct the electrical safety survey for Grimsby Power's service area. Some residents of Grimsby will receive a phone call over the next few weeks and be asked to participate in the survey. The performance results of the survey will be included in Grimsby Power’s annual Scorecard Report.

Bill Changes Effective January 1, 2016

The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit that reduced the amount of your invoice by 10% will be eliminated.

Learn more at Ontario.ca/OCEB

Residential Consumers:

The Debt Retirement Charge will be removed for residential consumption.

Learn more at Ontario.ca/DRC

All Consumers – Charges within the Regulatory portion of your invoice:

The Wholesale Market Service Rate will be reduced from 0.0044 to 0.0036 per kWh uplifted by the Loss Factor.

A new charge will be added. The Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) Charge will be 0.0011 per kWh uplifted by the Loss Factor. For the average residential consumer with a monthly usage 800 kWh per month this amounts to $0.93 per month.

Contest Winners

Grimsby Power recently held a contest to help us be more environmentally friendly by putting an end to paper billing and signing up for e-Billing. All new registrants were eligible to win a $50.00 gift certificate to support our local merchants. Customers also had a chance to earn an extra ballot by registering for our Pre-Authorized Payment Plan and/or MyHydroEye. There were 25 gift certificates awarded as well as our grand prize of a Vizio 55”Smart TV. Congratulations to all the winners listed below:

BARBARA IRVING

BERNARD & M. JACKIE FANNING

BRENDA KOSAKOWSKI

CAROLE WEBSTER

CHRISTINE & STEVEN HILTON

DENNIS GAPASIN

DIANE OTIS

ELIZABETH SWICK

IVO & MILICA RADOMAN

J ROLLS

JAMES GALLINO

KAITLYN MCNEIL

KAREN ZAHORUK

KATHRYN MILLAR

KEVIN GRADY

MICHAEL MICHALSKI

MICHELLE & CRAIG HEDLEY

MIKE & MELINA SENCHYSHAK

PATRICIA BACON

PIERRE-MARC PEPIN

ROBERT & MARGARET PAUL

ROBIN HALLIWELL

SANDRA CROMPTON

SHARON KING

YING ZHANG

Congratulations to TONINA COLOSIMO and her family the grand prize winners pictured here with Grimsby Power’s CEO Doug Curtiss:

Ontario Electricity Support Program

The Ontario Electricity Support Program, designed and implemented by the Ontario Energy Board, will come into effect on January 1, 2016. The Ontario Electricity Support Program helps reduce electricity bills for low-income households with a monthly on-bill credit. The amount of the credit will depend on how many people live in your house and your combined household income. To find out if you are eligible and how to apply click on apply now or call 1-855-831-8151 (toll-free within Ontario).

Applications can now be completed online. Consumers can also apply with the assistance of local intake agency partners. The intake agency partner for the Town of Grimsby is The Grimsby Benevolent Fund. They can be reached at 905-309-5664.

Telephone Scam

Grimsby Power is cautioning customers about a telephone scam targeting mostly businesses in our service area.

Multiple customers have received calls from someone claiming to work for “hydro” and demanding a pre-paid credit card or another form of payment to clear up an overdue account or be disconnected within a certain time frame. Recently these individuals have been able to produce the Grimsby Power phone number on the customer's caller ID. This tactic is called "spoofing". In all cases the customer has been advised to contact a toll free phone number with their form of payment.

Grimsby Power is reminding customers that it never solicits credit card payments over the phone or asks for wire transfers and does not have a toll free phone number.

Customers who have received a phone call asking for such a payment are being advised to hang up, and call the police as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Amalgamation Between Grimsby Power Inc and Niagara West Transformation Corporation

Grimsby Power Inc. is pleased to announce that it has amalgamated with Niagara West Transformation Corporation effective October 1, 2015. The newly amalgamated company will continue operating under the name Grimsby Power Inc. This amalgamation has taken place under the purview of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). The OEB decision with respect to the amalgamation can be viewed by clicking here. The subsequent Rate Order dated May 7, 2015 can be viewed by clicking here. The rate order prescribes that GPI will notify its customers of the rate changes no later than the first bill reflecting the new rates. There are no rate changes for Grimsby Power’s existing customers.

Any questions related to the operation of the Niagara West MTS located at 3021 Regional Road 12, Grassie can be directed to our office at 905-945-5437.

2014 Scorecard

The electricity distributor scorecard measures how well utilities are performing. It was designed to encourage utilities to operate in an effective manor and continually look for ways to improve productivity and focus on improvements of value to customers.

The scorecard includes several measurements that assess the utilities’ services. They include frequency of power outages, financial performance, costs per customer, how well the distributor resolves a customer’s concern on the first contact (First Contact Resolution), billing accuracy and public safety.

Please click on the link to view Grimsby Power’s 2014 Scorecard. To view the Scorecards of other utilities you can visit the OEB website.

e-Billing Contest

Your local power provider encourages you to help us be more environmentally friendly by putting an end to paper billing and signing up for e-Billing. All new registrants are eligible for two entries to support our local merchants with 25 gift certificate prizes to be won or our grand prize at the end of the contest period.

Increase your chances by one entry through registering for MyHydroEye Time-of-Use (TOU) Web Portal (even if you are already signed up for e-billing) that can provide quick and easy access to electricity consumption and cost information for customers of Grimsby Power. With MyHydroEye, you can view your usage and costs at multiple levels of detail (e.g. hourly, daily, monthly, bill period) in a variety of graphical and tabular formats. You can also view bill predictions and set up usage and cost alerts to help you in monitoring and managing your electricity consumption. If you would like to take advantage of this tool you just need to register on our website found under the Customer Accounts tab. Your activation code is found on left side of each monthly invoice. There is no charge to use MyHydroEye.

You will also receive an additional entry if you sign up for our Pre-Authorized Payment Plan. Enrollment forms are available in our office or on our website.

Our website for each of these options is www.grimsbypower.com.

Contest period starts August 1st, 2015 and ends November 30th, 2015.

The sooner you sign up the more chances you have of winning*.

*Chances of winning depend on the number of eligible registrations received.

Notice Regarding Overdue Balances

Effective May 1st, 2015, Grimsby Power will no longer be mailing out paper reminder notices but rather you will be receiving an automated reminder phone call or e-mail. This has been implemented to increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and reduce paper waste. We encourage our customers who are experiencing difficulties paying their invoice by the due date to contact us to make payment arrangements. This avoids incurring additional service charges for non payment. For bill payment options please visit our website: www.grimsbypower.com or contact us by phone.

Customer Accounts Team

905-945-5437 (Option #2)

Telephone Scam

Grimsby Power is cautioning customers about a telephone scam targeting mostly businesses in our service area.

Multiple customers have received calls from someone claiming to work for “hydro” and demanding a credit card number or another form of payment to clear up an overdue account or be disconnected within a certain time frame. In all cases the customer has been advised to contact a toll free phone number.

Grimsby Power is reminding customers that it never solicits credit card payments over the phone or asks for wire transfers and does not have a toll free phone number.

Customers who have received a phone call asking for such a payment are being advised to hang up, and call the police as well as the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

Discontinued Use of Sensus 3.2 with Remote Disconnect

The Electrical Safety Authority has made an announcement regarding the use of a specific meter: the Sensus 3.2 with remote disconnect. Grimsby Power does not have the model of meters that are covered by the announcement. Please click here for more details.

Grimsby Power e-Billing Contest

Grimsby Power your local power provider recently held a contest to help us be more environmentally friendly by putting an end to paper billing and signing up for e-Billing. All new registrants were eligible to win a $50.00 gift certificate to support our local merchants. There were 25 gift certificates awarded as well as our grand prize of a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 16GB Tablet. The following is a list of our winners:

Grimsby Power Inc and Niagara West Transformation Corporation Intent to Merge

Grimsby Power Inc. and Niagara West Transformation Corporation have announced their intent to merge with an application filed with the Ontario Energy Board. The application complete with evidence and Ontario Energy Board Notice are available here.

POWER RESTORED

GRIMSBY POWER SCORECARD

The Ontario Energy Board has required all electricity distributors to post an annual scorecard on select performance measures to their website by September 25, 2014. The scorecard covers the period 2009 - 2013. The values on these scorecards were derived from information provided to the OEB in accordance with their Reporting and Record-keeping Requirements ("RRR") and from calculations performed by consultants to the OEB.

The scorecard for Grimsby Power is posted in the Regulatory section of the Grimsby Power website, and may also be accessed on the following link:

In addition, Grimsby Power has filed a Management Discussion and Analysis with the OEB that provides additional information on the values portrayed in the scorecard. It is posted in the Regulatory section of the Grimsby Power website, and may also be accessed on the following link:

A.L.S. ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

The CEO of Grimsby Power Inc., Doug Curtiss along with several staff volunteers accepted the ALS ice bucket challenge. On September 4th, they gathered in the back lot and allowed themselves to be drenched with an oversized bucket load of water and ice using the bucket truck. Doug challenged members of the EDA's Niagara Grand District executive to follow suit.

NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND HEARING

The Ontario Energy Board ("OEB") has today issued a Notice of Application and Hearing relating to the application by Grimsby Power for 2015 rates. Note that the $0.38 additional charge referred to in the Notice applies to charges which are to the benefit of Grimsby Power. Other costs which provide no benefit to Grimsby Power are proposed to increase in the application. A household with an average consumption of 800 kWh per month may see a 3.68% increase in their monthly bill. The rates are proposed and subject to change. Grimsby Power will notify customers as rates are finalized.

Attached is the Notice of Application and Hearing for Grimsby Power's 2015 Rate Application:

Customers may view the details of the rate application by clicking on the following link to review the associated files. The OEB has assigned file number EB-2014-0076 to the application, and it may be accessed on the Ontario Energy Board website using that case number:

GRIMSBY POWER SUBMITS APPLICATION FOR 2015 RATES

Each year, Grimsby Power is required under directives from the Ontario Energy Board ("OEB") to submit a proposal for new electricity rates for the upcoming calendar year. The 2015 Rate Application was submitted to the OEB on August 13, 2014 and may be viewed on the Ontario Energy Board's website under Grimsby Power's filing number EB-2014-0076. A link to the site has been created under the Regulatory section of this website.

The application is formulaic in nature and is tied to inflation, recovery of permissible costs and in accordance with forecast changes to transmission and other rates beyond the control of Grimsby Power. The portion of costs over which Grimsby Power has control is proposed to increase by approximately 1.4% in 2015, in line with inflation. The rates are subject to change, with a final decision from the OEB expected toward the end of 2014.

Total bill impacts for residential customers would show an increase in the range of between 2.5% and 3.9%. A household with an average consumption of 800 kWh per month would potentially see an increase of $4.41, from $119.63 to $124.04 per month.

The bill impacts for business customers would be higher, in the range of between 6.7% to 9.6%. A small business with an average consumption of 2,000 kWh per month would potentially see an increase of $18.96 (6.7%), from $284.16 to $303.12.

SENSUS METER CONCERNS

Over the last week news reports of unexplained fires have been linked to Sensus smart meters installed in Saskatchewan. Grimsby Power utilizes Sensus meters and is keeping up to date on the latest information regarding this issue. Grimsby Power is committed to communicating with our customers about this issue. Follow the link to the latest press release involving Sensus:

E-BILLING CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT AND DETAILS

Grimsby Power is encouraging all customers to sign up today to begin enjoying all that e-BILLING has to offer! The E-Billing Contest begins today. All Grimsby customers who are new registrants for e-billing automatically become eligible to win from a selection of prizes offered by The Merchants of Downtown Grimsby.

Grimsby Power Website Forms

Please note that many of the forms in the Grimsby Power website are being updated. If you find they are not opening up using the Internet Explorer browser, you may be able to open them using Google Chrome or Firefox.

NOTICE OF POWER INTERRUPTION

In order to make improvements to the electric supply system, we will need to interrupt your service on:

Friday May 2nd,

Monday May 5th,

Tuesday May 6th and

Wednesday May 7th, 2014

between the hours of 8:30am – 4:00pm

We apologize for this inconvenience. In case of bad weather, the interruption will take place on: Next day during the same hours of the day.

If we must postpone the work again, you will receive a new notice.

Please note that you may experience some short power disturbances the day before and/or the day after the work is done, as our crews prepare for and conclude their work.

In order for us to access our equipment, and to help us keep the interruption as short as possible, please avoid parking near hydro poles and green hydro boxes (transformers) on the above day. Also, please note that this interruption may affect:

• Security Alarms• Elevators• Electric Garage Door Openers• Computers

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, contact Kevin Robins, Operation Supervisor at 945 5437, Ext. 227.

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR CUSTOMERS ON OUR PRE-AUTHORIZED PAYMENT PLAN

Due to a programming error in our customer billing system some preauthorized payments were withdrawn on April 22nd, 2014 instead of on the invoice due date later in the month. Grimsby Power sincerely apologizes and takes full responsibility for this error. If this withdrawal created any bank service charges please call our office for details on how to be reimbursed. Our team is constantly working on providing the best service to all our valuable customers. If there is anything else that we can do to minimize your inconvenience in regards to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

NEW ELECTRICITY PRICES FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND SMALL BUSINESSES STARTING MAY 1, 2014

Starting on May 1, 2014, the prices for the electricity commodity for households and small business customers will be increasing by 0.3 to 0.6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). These prices are set by the Ontario Energy Board and are based on costs associated with the generation of electricity in the Province.

The new prices are as follows:

* for Off-Peak hours (evenings and weekends), the price is 7.5 cents per kWh

* for Mid-Peak hours (Weekday mornings and late afternoons), the price is 11.2 cents per kWh

* for On-Peak hours (Weekday mid-days), the price is 13.5 cents per kWh

POWER INTERRUPTION NOTICE - TAMI COURT

In order to make improvements to the electric supply system, we will need to interrupt your service on: Monday April 14, 2014 between the hours of 10:00am - 12:00pm and 1:00pm - 4:00pm

We apologize for this inconvenience. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, inclement weather, other power outages, the interruption will take place on: Wednesday April 16, 2014 during the same hours of the day.

If we must postpone the work again, you will receive a new notice.

Please note that you may experience some short power disturbances the day before and/or the day after the work is done, as our crews prepare for and conclude their work. In order for us to access our equipment, and to help us keep the interruption as short as possible, please avoid parking near hydro poles and green hydro boxes (transformers) on the above day.

Also, please note that this interruption may affect:

• Security Alarms

• Elevators

• Electric Garage Door Openers

• Computers

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, contact Kevin Robins, Operation Supervisor at 945 5437, Ext. 227.

POWER INTERRUPTION NOTICE - PARKWOOD, SUNRISE, APPLEWOOD

In order to make improvements to the electric supply system, we will need to interrupt your service on: Friday April 11, 2014 between the hours of 9:00am – 12:00pm.

We apologize for this inconvenience. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, inclement weather, other power outages, the interruption will take place on: Monday April 14, 2014 during the same hours of the day.

If we must postpone the work again, you will receive a new notice.

Please note that you may experience some short power disturbances the day before and/or the day after the work is done, as our crews prepare for and conclude their work.

In order for us to access our equipment, and to help us keep the interruption as short as possible, please avoid parking near hydro poles and green hydro boxes (transformers) on the above day. Also, please note that this interruption may affect:

Security Alarms

Elevators

Electric Garage Door Openers

Computers

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, contact Kevin Robins, Operation Supervisor at 945 5437, Ext. 227.

CONSERVE ENERGY WITH PEAKSAVER PLUS

Grimsby Power has implemented the peaksaver PLUS program for Grimsby residents and many homeowners have already had the new program installed. It's free. It provides a home display, showing electricity usage in virtually real time. A new thermostat and meter device is installed so that in times of peak demand, the temperature control can be adjusted slightly to reduce energy consumption and prevent interruptions in energy supply.

A special feature describing this program can be seen on the Conservation - Home link on this website.

CURRENT POWER OUTAGE

March 12, 2014 - 8:59 am (NOTE #1) - Grimsby Power is currently aware of an outage affecting the 18M4 feeder line out of Beamsville. Crews have been dispatched to restore power. The cause of the outage is not known and the time to restoration has not been determined. If you have noticed a potential cause of the power outage please e-mail us at the following link with as much detail as possible. kevinr@grimsbypower.com

For further information, please refer to the 'Current Power Interruptions' section on our website, under the 'What's New' menu.

POWER RESTORED

March 12, 2014 - 10:06am (NOTE #2) - Power should now be restored to all customers. Please contact Grimsby Power if you are still experiencing a power interruption. The outage was due to the weather storm in the area.

MYHYDROEYE DOWN BRIEFLY FOR MAINTENANCE

This is notification that on Wednesday March 19th, from 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm, MyHydroEye (web and Mobile) will be unavailable due to a scheduled maintenance of the production environment.

MyHydroEye is a free service that provides customers with online access to energy usage on their accounts. It portrays graphs of usage on a monthly, weekly, daily, even hourly basis and has several features that can help homeowners manage their energy consumption.

Please visit the following link to learn more and to sign up. MyHydroeye

ONLINE ANNUAL COUPONS NOW AVAILABLE

Enjoy both financial and energy savings on the purchase of qualified energy conservation products from local hardware supply stores. Annual coupons are now available at the following link within this Grimsby Power website. To see more, click on Annual Coupons.

SCHEDULED POWER OUTAGE

In order to make improvements to the electric supply system, we will need to interrupt your service on:

Wednesday February 19, 2014 between the hours of 8:00am – 2:00pm

We apologize for this inconvenience. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, inclement weather, other power outages, the interruption will take place on:

Tuesday February 25, 2014 during the same hours of the day.

If we must postpone the work again, you will receive a new notice. Please note that you may experience some short power disturbances the day before and/or the day after the work is done, as our crews prepare for and conclude their work.

In order for us to access our equipment, and to help us keep the interruption as short as possible, please avoid parking near hydro poles and green hydro boxes (transformers) on the above day. Also, please note that this interruption may affect:

Security Alarms,

Elevators,

Electric Garage Door Openers, and

Computers

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, contact Kevin Robins, Operations Supervisor at 945-5437, Ext. 227.

SCHEDULED POWER INTERRUPTIONS

Please note that there are two power interruptions scheduled for today and tomorrow afternoons. These are necessary in order to make improvements to the electric supply system, and only affect a few customers. On Tuesday, approximately 40 customers on Forest Road may experience power interruptions between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. On Wednesday, approximately 64 customers on Almond Garden, Diana Avenue, Woodsview Avenue and Woodsview Place may experience power interruptions between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

Grimsby Power apologizes for this inconvenience. Please note that you may experience some short power disturbances the day before and/or the day after the work is done, as our crews prepare for and conclude their work.

In order for us to access our equipment, and to help us keep the interruption as short as possible, please avoid parking near hydro poles and green hydro boxes (transformers) on the above day. Also, please note that this interruption may affect: security alarms, elevators, electric garage door openers and computers.

Your patience and understanding are greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Robins, Operations Supervisor at (905) 945-5437 Ext. 227.

NEW ELECTRICTY DELIVERY RATES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2014

The Ontario Energy Board approved new electricity delivery rates for Grimsby Power in December 2013, for implementation on January 1, 2014. Most residential and small business customers will see an approximately 2% increase in their total electricity bill per month. A few large volume customers will see a 15% or more drop in their costs due to the expiry of a rate rider affecting non-RPP customers.

ICE STORM - POWER OUTAGES (NOTE #1)

Grimsby Power is currently aware of power outages affecting the 2508M3 and 2508M4 feeder lines due to the severe ice storm in our area. Click this link to view the specific areas affected on a Town of Grimsby map: Feeder Line Map of Grimsby

For reference, there are four feeder lines providing power to the Town of Grimsby:

Beamsville Transformation Station (TS) - 18M3

Beamsville TS - 18M4

Niagara West TS - 2508M3

Niagara West TS - 2508M4

Crews have been dispatched to restore power. The cause of the outage is from tree limbs coated in ice breaking and falling on overhead power lines. The time to restoration is expected to be 3-4 hours. If you have noticed a downed line or other problem, please e-mail us at the following link with as much detail as possible: kevinr@grimsbypower.com

ICE STORM - POWER OUTAGE (NOTE #2)

Power was restored to the 2508M3 line at approximately 1:30pm. If the power is out at your location, the line crews are making repairs to sections that are still without power and will likely restore your power soon. A major reason for the power outages was that tree branches coated in heavy ice broke and fell on the overhead lines.

ICE STORM - POWER OUTAGE (NOTE #3)

The power has been generally restored in Grimsby, effective 4:30pm. There are a few places where specific problems have kept homes from being re-connected; however, these will be addressed as soon as possible.

WOOLVERTON ROAD CLOSURE

Woolverton Road will be closed commencing November 11, 2013 from Monday through Thursday, 7:00am to 5:00pm, concluding December 14, 2013. The portion of Woolverton Road afffected will be between Ridge Road West and Main Street West.

Any inquiries regarding this road closure can be forwarded to the Operations Supervisor or to Aaron Murphy in the Grimsby Power Engineering Department at 905-945-5437 extension 226.

TIME OF USE ELECTRICITY PRICE CHANGE

Today the Ontario Energy Board announced new electricity prices. The new prices will apply to most households and small businesses starting November 1st.

The electricity prices will increase by a half-cent per kWh for all Time-of-Use levels. The new rates will be 7.2 cents per kWh for off-peak times; 10.9 cents per kWh for mid-peak times and 12.9 cents per kWh for on-peak times. Off-peak times include evenings and weekends. Mid- and on-peak times occur during weekdays between 7am and 7pm.

The price change for consumers represents an increase of approximately $4.00 on the "Electricity" line, or about 3% on the total monthly bill, for a household with a typical consumption pattern that uses 800 kWh per month.

The Ontario Energy Board reviews electricity prices twice each year based on updated cost estimates. Their cost estimates for the coming year increased due to more expected generation from more costly sources including renewables along with higher market prices for natural gas.

PEAKSAVER PLUS

The Peaksaver PLUS program has started in Grimsby and a few homeowners have already had the new program installed. It's free. It provides a home display, showing electricity usage in virtually real time. A new thermostat and meter device is installed so that in times of peak demand, the the temperature control can be adjusted slightly to reduce energy consumption and prevent interruptions in energy supply.

FALL APPLIANCE EXCHANGE EVENT

From Friday September 13 – Sunday September 15, bring in your old, inefficient dehumidifier to any Canadian Tire store across Ontario and exchange it for a $50 coupon towards the purchase of a replacement ENERGY STAR® qualified dehumidifier.

Not only is this your chance to save $50 towards the purchase of a new energy-efficient appliance, but with the saveONenergy EXCHANGE EVENT, you could also enjoy additional ongoing savings of up to $50 per year in electricity costs when you replace your old unit with an ENERGY STAR qualified one.

Old dehumidifiers must be 10 years of age or older and in working condition. Your old appliances will be recycled and decommissioned responsibly.

Where: All Canadian Tire store locations across OntarioWhen: Friday September 13 – Sunday September 15

A Grimsby Power booth will be set up over the weekend to assist customers and promote energy conservation.

THUNDERSTORM POWER OUTAGES

Grimsby experienced a violent thunderstorm yesterday afternoon. Several power outages across town were reported for just over an hour. The M3 and M4 feeder lines out of Beamsville experienced lightning hits on and near the lines. Line crews were dispatched and power was restored by 3:30pm to most customers. Please refer to the following link to see a map of the feeder lines affected. Power outages map

GRIMSBY POWER ANNOUNCES CONTEST WINNERS

Grimsby Power recently held a contest for their customers to promote an end to paper billing and be more environmentally friendly. Customers were encouraged to sign up for e-Billing and complement it with Pre-Authorized Payments. Besides enjoying the convenience of both these programs, all registered customers were eligible to win one of two great prizes. Customers who signed up or were previously registered for both services were eligible to win an Android 32GB Tablet or a 51" 3D Plasma Smart TV.

There were two draws for the contest. The Early Bird draw was held on June 28th for the Android Tablet. The Main Prize draw was held on July 31st for the 3D Plasma TV.

Congratulations to Lee Fox, winner of the Android 32GB Tablet and to Judy Meldrum, winner of the 51" 3D Plasma Smart TV. Both prizes were presented to the winners by Grimsby Power’s CEO, Doug Curtiss.

Grimsby Power has increased its enrolment for these services to 4% of their customer base and would like to encourage more customers to sign up. Registration for e-Billing and/or Pre-Authorized Payments can be made online by visiting Grimsby Power’s website at www.grimsbypower.com.

STORM REPERCUSSIONS

The Grimsby service area experienced numerous outages on Friday night as a result of the wild storm which hit at approximately 7:30pm. Grimsby Power linesmen were kept very busy making repairs and most residents had full power restored during the weekend. There remain several locations where there are still problems and further work is being carried out. Remaining outages are due to fallen lines, a broken pole and many fallen branches or trees.

ANNOUNCING OUR e-BILLING + PAP CONTEST EARLY BIRD DRAW WINNER

Congratulations to Lee Fox for being Grimsby Power Inc.’s (GPI) Early Bird draw winner for our e-Billing/Pre-Authorized Payment Plan offering.

GPI staff and management were thrilled to present Mr Fox with an Android 32GB Tablet. On June 28th, 2013 Grimsby Power’s CEO, Doug Curtiss presented Mr. Fox with his early bird prize.

There’s still time to register for our Main Prize draw of a 51” 3D Plasma Smart TV. To be eligible you must be registered for both e-Billing and PAP by July 31st, 2013. The convenience you will enjoy by participating in both these programs will also help us be more environmentally friendly.

CHANGES TO LINE LOSSES PRESENTMENT

Previously, the electricity consumed by a customer, as indicated under the line item 'Electricity' charges of the electricity bill, was adjusted to include line losses. According to an amending regulation, invoices must clearly indicate customers' consumption of electricity as indicated on their meters excluding line losses. Effective July 1, 2013, the charges related to losses incurred in the distribution of electricity will now be included on the “Delivery” line of the invoice instead of as a separate line item under “Electricity” charges.

RATE CHANGES EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2013

On March 21st and March 28th, 2013, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) issued two Decisions affecting rates charged by Ontario utilities effective May 1, 2013. The Regulatory Charges portion of the electricity invoice will decline $0.07 per month for all customers. The Delivery Charges portion of the electricity invoice will increase by $0.79 per month for Residential and GS<50 (small business) customers. For details of these two Decisions, please refer to the following link: Rate Changes Effective May 1, 2013.

CONTEST TO ELIMINATE PAPER BILLING

Help us be more environmentally friendly by putting an end to paper billing and sign up for e-Billing and compliment it with our Pre-Authorized Payment Plan. PAP makes bill paying easy and convenient. You save the cost of postage and cheques, and can relax knowing your bill is paid, even when you're away on vacation or business. Click on Read More for more!.

UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL ADJUSTMENT

In Ontario, all customers pay the the Global Adjustment. The Global adjustment is meant to balance the market price of electricity with the regulated and contractual costs associated with its production. For some Grimsby Power customers the Global Adjustment is a separate line item on the electricity bill.

SPRING COUPON EVENT

Twice each year, saveONenergy coupons are available in-store at participating retailers for instant savings across a wide range of energy-efficient products, including LED bulbs and increased incentives on specialty CFLs. Visit the Grimsby Power booth at Canadian Tire - Grimsby Square Plaza (44 Livingstone Ave) on April 20, 2013 from 10am - 2pm.

MONITOR YOUR ELECTRICITY USAGE ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE

Grimsby Power is excited to announce that MyHydroEye has extended the application to Smartphones such as BlackBerry® and iPhone, enabling our customers to conveniently monitor and manage their energy consumption while on the go.

NEW ANNUAL COUPONS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

Now available, you can download valuable coupons for savings on energy-saving items such as CFL lightbulbs and powerbars. These coupons are valid throughout 2013. Go to our Conservation (for home) section of this website, and scroll down a page.

TEMPORARY POWER OUTAGE

Many Grimsby Power customers experienced a prolonged power outage on January 9th. Grimsby Power re-connected most homes and businesses to the grid by approximately 7:40pm. A more detailed explanation is available by clicking 'Read More'

OEB DECISION ISSUED ON RATES

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has issued its Decision and Order on 2013 electricity rates in response to Grimsby Power's application submitted in August 2012. Residences and small businesses may see a slight decrease in their electricity bill as several cost riders expire after December 31, 2012. Partially offsetting this however, the delivery rates increase by 1.28% in response to inflation. The new rates take effect starting January 1, 2013. A bill insert will be included with the February bills, which cover January consumption.

The full text of the OEB Decision and Order is presented in the Regulatory section of this website.

GRIMSBY POWER WAS READY FOR HURRICANE SANDY

Grimsby Power was prepared for the damaging effects of Hurricane Sandy, and crews were at the ready to respond to customer power supply problems. In the end, the duration of outages was relatively minor despite the severity of the storm.

COUPONS NOW AVAILABLE - GOOD TO DEC 31 2012

Coupons are now available on our Conservation menu for savings on your next purchase of energy saving devices. Simply select the for Home choice in the Conservation menu, click on the coupon link and print the coupon displayed in the new window. These coupons are good to December 31, 2012.

MYHYDROEYE TOU PORTAL - NOW AVAILABLE!

MyHydroEye Time-of-Use (TOU) Web Portal can now provide quick and easy access to electricity consumption and cost information for customers of Grimsby Power. With MyHydroEye, you can view your usage and costs at multiple levels of detail (e.g. hourly, daily, monthly, bill period) in a variety of graphical and tabular formats. You can also view bill predictions and set up usage and cost alerts to help you in monitoring and managing your electricity consumption.

FALL SAVE-ON-ENERGY COUPON EVENT

SAVE Money instantly and electricity all year with the Fall Save-on-Energy COUPON EVENT, coming soon. Save on energy-efficient products including: ENERGY STAR® LED and CFL light bulbs, power bars with integrated timer or auto-shutoff, weather-stripping, pipe wrap and many more. Not only will you save money right away, you will also save energy throughout the year.

OCEB - ONTARIO CLEAN ENERGY BENEFIT

The Ontario Clean Energy Benefit has provided a 10% discount on the electricity bills since early 2011. On June 29, 2012, the Ontario Government announced a restriction on the OCEB benefit. Effective September 1, 2012, the benefit will apply only to the first 3,000 kWh of consumption in the month. For those residential consumers requiring the use of medical equipment operating on electricity, there is an exemption for which they may apply.

GRIMSBY ANNUAL EXCHANGE EVENT

On June 16 and 17, Canadian Tire will be hosting Grimsby's annual "Save On Energy" Exchange Event. During this event, you can trade in an old inefficient dehumidifier or window air conditioner, and receive a $50 coupon towards a new ENERGY STAR qualified unit. Plus, it could save you more than $60 per year on electricity costs when you replace both appliances.

E-BILLING HAS ARRIVED!

Customers may now choose to use the new e-billing feature offered by Grimsby Power in order to receive their electricity bills electronically. By participating in this initiative, customers do their part to conserve paper and Grimsby Power saves on paper and mailing costs. To sign up for the new service, click on the Customer Accounts section of this website and look for the 'Access to e-Billing' option.

CABLE INJECTIOIN PROJECT BEGINS MAY 7TH

For the next two weeks, Grimsby Power line crews will be working to inject electrical cables with silicon fluid in several areas around town. This is expected to prolong the life of the cables and protect wires from potential short-outs. The project will affect power during the daytime hours to several subdivisions, depending on where the work is being done. To see a schedule of where the line crews will be working each day, please visit the What's New section of this website, under Current Power Interruptions. This schedule is subject to change and depends on weather and other uncontrollable factors. In all cases, Grimsby Power will attempt to keep power disruptions to a minimum.

TOU RATES IN EFFECT MAY 1ST

Effective May 1st, Grimsby Power will commence billing based on Time-of-Use energy consumption. This replaces the two-tiered system of billing that has been in effect since 2005 and means consumers can save on their cost of power by using electricity in the evenings and on weekends, rather than during daylight hours on weekdays.

TOU RATES ARE COMING

Effective May 1st, Grimsby Power will be billing on the basis of Time-of-Use, as mandated by the provincial government. This new billing system replaces the two-tiered system that has been in place since 2005. Instead of billing strictly according to overall energy use during the previous month, the Time-of-Use system will bill according to when your electricity was used.

GRIMSBY POWER RATE TARIFF SUMMARY

Previously, Grimsby Power posted the new electricity distribution tariff rates in the Regulatory section of this website, for the changes effective March 1, 2012.
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Please refer to the following summary of this Rate Tariff as follows: Summary of Rate Tariff

OPA Notice to Constrained MicroFIT Applicants

The Ontario Power Authority has recently provided relocation options for MicroFIT applicants who had applied to the MicroFIT program before December 8, 2010, had requested an Offer to Connect and were denied connection. A response to the OPA is necessary by May 31, 2012.

Work Outdoors With Safety in Mind

With the coming of the warmer weather, lots of us are spending more time outdoors. This is great, but you should know the safety issues related to working or gardening too close to powerlines and other electrical equipment.

More on the New Rates for Grimsby Power

The Ontario Energy Board has accepted new electricity distribution rates for Grimsby Power, which came into effect March 1, 2012. The fixed rate of $15.11/month remains unchanged. The volumetric rate for residences has increased from $0.0086 per kWh to $0.0116 per kWh.

New Tariff of Electricity Distribution Rates Approved by OEB

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) has approved a new tariff of electricity distribution rates for Grimsby Power, which come into effect March 1, 2012. For details of the OEB decision, please reference the Regulatory section of this website.

Streetlights Now Part of Town Responsibility

Effective January 1, 2012, Grimsby Power will no longer be performing streetlight repairs. This service has become the responsibility of the Town of Grimsby. They have contracted Ground Aerial Maintenance Services to perform the work. This contractor currently does streetlight repairs for both Thorold and Niagara Falls as well. For now, customers may continue to use the online form on the Grimsby Power website to report streetlight problems, and the information will be passed along to the relevant parties.

Festival on the Forty

Happening in the Park - June 25th

Grimsby celebrated the annual 'Happening in the Park' at Centennial Park on June 25th this year. Grimsby Power was pleased to host one of the exhibitor booths, promoting the provincial OPA energy conservation programs to all residents.